Two's Company
by CatChester
Summary: Zane can't stop thinking about that kiss.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Two's Company

Author: Cat Chester

Rating: T

Paring: Jo/Zane, Zoe/Zane

Disclaimer: Not mine. Please don't sue me as I'm good friends with the Dexter writers* and we all know what they do to people who cross them! ;) (*yeah, that's a great big fat lie)

Spoilers: Up to season 4 episode 9

Summary: Zane can't get that kiss out of his head.

AN: A New story to help see us through until the Christmas special. Please be aware, **there is no Zoe hate here. **Jo and Zane are the ultimate couple but Zoe has done nothing wrong and I won't paint her as the bad guy.

III

**Chapter One**

"Zane? Zane!"

"Sorry," Zane turned to Zoe.

"Did you hear anything I just said?"

"Sure, you were talking about..." he desperately tried to recall a fragment of her conversation. "Harvard, right?"

"Something like that," Zoe smiled indulgently. "Actually I was telling you about my anatomy professor."

"I'm sorry, Zoe, I must have zoned out."

He knew exactly what had happened, he'd been thinking about that kiss with Jo. Something about it had felt so right but at the same time, so wrong. He and Lupo were opposites in almost every way. Their looks said it all, Zane was most comfortable in jeans and t-shirt and only shaving every few days. Lupo was always impeccably dressed with not a hair out of place. He was care-free whereas she enjoyed responsibility; he had no problem breaking any law that was in his way, whereas she enforced them. Zane was spontaneous but he seriously he doubted Lupo ever did anything without filling in the correct forms in triplicate first. It made absolutely no sense for him to be attracted to her.

And yet he couldn't stop thinking about that kiss.

"It's okay, it must have been stressful being in jail all day. And I doubt that bed is very comfortable," she said, thoughtfully giving him an out.

"Yeah, well it's not exactly how I enjoy spending my free time. But you're right, I'm probably not very good company tonight."

"Maybe you should go home, get some rest." Zoe smiled sweetly and covered his hand with her own.

"That's probably a good idea. I'm sorry, Zoe."

"Don't worry about it. It's my Dad's fault you were in jail in the first place."

"Yeah, well..." He knew there was a reason he was always first on the suspect list; because often he deserved to be but he didn't want to think about that right now. He had too much else going on in his head at the moment.

Zane looked down to Zoe's hand where it rested on his. He turned his hand over and squeezed hers.

"Thanks, Zoe."

"Any time."

As they left Café Diem he could see some of the other patrons looking at them, wondering what he was doing with a teenager. The truth was that she was an adult now but all they saw was the Sheriffs daughter, that little fifteen year old blonde girl and the change in hair colour had done little to improve their perception of her.

Zane wasn't one to care about what other people thought though, because most people were idiots. He leaned down, hugged Zoe and kissed her cheek.

"You want me to walk you home?" he asked.

"Nah, I'll swing my Pilar's . She's got something she wants to show me." They began walking towards Zane's apartment since Pilar didn't live far from him.

"You don't sound very keen," he smirked, making a conscious effort to listen to what she was saying.

"No, it's not that. It's just... Do you ever look at someone and suddenly feel differently about them?"

'Oh yes', Zane thought, he was very familiar with that feeling, though perhaps not in the way Zoe meant.

"You feel like you're outgrowing her?" he asked.

"Yeah," she sighed, looking upset at having voiced that thought. "It's just, life is different for me now, I'm living alone, most of the time," she amended. "I'm in university, I'm working towards my future. The things I used to worry about in high school don't seem so important any more."

She seemed upset so Zane put an arm around shoulders. She might feel more grown up than Pilar, but he knew she couldn't see how young and vulnerable she looked right now.

"Sometimes people grow apart," he said. "But sometimes they grow back together again. Next year she'll be in the same boat as you are right now, she'll be a freshman at Uni, discovering what it means to live alone, finding out what she wants from her future. Maybe you'll have something to connect over again."

Zoe relaxed and turned to smile up at him. "Thanks, Zane. Sometimes I feel like you're the only person who really gets me, you know?"

Zane smiled warmly. "I know."

"Thank you. Again," she said as they paused at the intersection.

To Zane's surprise, Zoe stretched up and kissed him. Caught off guard, he kissed her back for a moment until he remembered the kiss with Jo earlier. He didn't want to hurt Zoe but he also didn't want to lead her on too much. He broke the kiss as soon as was it felt reasonable.

"Zoe," he sighed. Zoe was great. Really great. Zane wasn't the sort of person to spend time with someone he didn't like, even if it did upset the sheriff. If he was honest though, he wasn't sure they would make a good couple. Of course, he wasn't sure that they wouldn't either.

What he did know was that kissing her didn't feel anywhere near as right as kissing Lupo had and he needed to end this before it went too far and she got hurt.

Zoe was smiling up at him, clearly pleased with herself. "Night," she said, giving him another quick peck on the cheek and almost skipping off towards Pilar's.

Zane watched her for a few moments and saw her glance back at him over her shoulder. He smiled because he wasn't sure what else he could do.

When he finally turned away he felt more confused than ever. Somehow he had just given Zoe the idea that he wanted something more from her when in reality it was Jo he wanted something more from.

For possibly the first time in his life, he truly regretted his actions. Zoe was one of the few people in this town who really saw him and who liked him regardless, even if she did romanticise him slightly. He had thought he could control this little flirtation that they had between them but now he realised that he could very easily end up hurting her.

On the other hand, he really did like her and his own parents had started out as friends. Was he selling the relationship short by giving up so easily? He was so confused he didn't know what he wanted any more.

He needed to talk to Jo, he realised with a sigh. Instead of going inside when he reached his building, he fished his keys from his pocket, climbed on his bike and headed back to town.

III

Jo was working up a sweat in the GD gym, trying to exercise herself into a state of total exhaustion. So far it wasn't working and all she had to show for her efforts were sore knuckles.

That kiss had affected her. Time had allowed her wound's to heal over slightly, allowed her to suppress the memory of his love and the pain of losing it but that kiss had ruthlessly ripped away that distance and she needed him so badly at the moment that it hurt.

It suddenly occurred to her to picture Zoe as the punching bag but instantly she felt terrible. How could she ever contemplate hurting Zoe, even for a second? Zoe was like the sister she'd never had.

And quite possibly, she thought with a heavy heart, she had just come across the biggest problem in this whole fiasco. There was no one to blame. Even Kevin who had sent them back to 1947 couldn't be blamed because that Kevin no longer existed.

She launched one final furious attack at the punching bag, then with a sigh she dropped her fists and stepped away.

Zane watched her from the doorway, enthralled. He'd seen Jo in action briefly over the years but she always took her opponents out quickly and efficiently. Now he had the chance to study her and he found himself developing a new respect for her. Like everyone else, most of the time he only saw her superficially. Suited and booted with nary a hair out of place.

Now though, thanks to her t-shirt he could see the muscles in her arms work as she attacked the bag, her hair was damp and loose tendrils were plastered to her forehead. She was no longer Lupo, Head of Security but Jo, wild woman.

She seemed to gain a second wind and launched a brutal assault on the punching bag before she finally stopped and turned towards him.

"Zane." She jumped slightly but for a change her tone wasn't harsh or accusatory, though she did sound cautious.

"Hey." He smiled warmly.

"What do you want?" she asked, both fearful and excited to see him.

"I'm not entirely sure," he answered truthfully. "I just needed to see you."

"Why?"

"I don't know."

"Why don't you come back when you do," she said, hurt because she'd got her hopes up, no matter how unintentionally. She turned away and headed over to her gym bag, pulling her padded gloves off as she went.

Zane made his way over to her. "Don't be like that."

"Like what?" she snapped as she wiped herself down with a towel.

"I'm confused, okay? I know that whatever I feel must be nothing compared to how you feel, but..." he sighed in frustration. He wasn't very good at articulating his feelings. He sat on the bench beside her bag. "Did I ever tell you how I got that ring?"

Jo met his eyes briefly before she looked away. "No."

Zane took a deep breath, trying to stall the sharing as long as possible. He didn't like being vulnerable but if he and Jo were ever to connect, or possibly reconnect, he needed to open up to her.

"My Dad died when I was young. My Mom had to work pretty long hours and Nana stepped in to look after me. She practically raised me. When I went to MIT at 13, she was the one who moved there with me because my Mom couldn't risk leaving her job."

Jo couldn't look at him and instead kept her gaze focused on the towel still clenched in her hands.

"When I was 15 my Grandpa passed away. He and Nana, they had something special. She was devastated by his loss and she was never quite the same after that. On my sixteenth birthday she gave me a computer... and that ring. She said her wish was that it would bring me as much happiness as it had brought them. She made me promise that I would only give it to someone I truly loved and... that was the last promise I ever made to her. She died a few months later."

Jo couldn't not look at him now and she was surprised to see the raw honesty and hope in his eyes.

Zane silently prayed that she could see where he was going with this story; that he wouldn't give that ring to just anyone. That ring was special, it was reserved for the one person he wanted to grow old with, the one who he couldn't imagine living without. Until now, Zane had always believed that he had yet to meet that woman.

Jo licked her lips. "I had no idea."

"When you said we didn't fit... did you mean it? Was I kidding myself?"

Jo took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "No," she answered softly, her voice full of longing.

Zane stood up and cupped her cheek. Jo's eyes flew open; she almost looked fearful as Zane lowered his face towards hers. When she didn't pull away, he kissed her, softly at first because he could feel her apprehension. Jo was the one who deepened the kiss, letting her towel drop to the floor and wrapping her hands around his neck.

When she ended the kiss they were both breathing heavily.

"I want you," he said, his voice husky with desire.

Jo hesitated for a moment, questioning the logic of letting this happen but the truth was that being with him, being in his arms felt right. She kissed him again.

Zane was surprised when he felt her tugging at his t-shirt, he had expected her to be more cautious but he went with it and let her set the pace. He was even more surprised when she kicked his legs out from under him. For a second he thought she was attacking him, until she landed on top of him and covered his mouth with her own again.

As they made love he noticed she tried to maintain eye contact as much as possible, creating an intimacy he had never experienced before.

The made love with abandon, pulling, scratching and tearing. Jo felt like a starving man at a feast. Zane felt like he was home for the first time in his life.

When they were finally spent Zane looked down at her and kissed her softly.

"That was..."

Jo smiled hesitantly. "Yeah."

Zane lowered himself down beside her and wrapped his arm around her, pulling her to him. She rested her head on his chest and draped one arm over his stomach,

"Jo, can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Why did you tell me that stuff? About us, I mean?"

"I... thought you were a hallucination," she answered honestly.

"Oh. Do you do that a lot?" he asked, only half joking.

Jo lightly punched his stomach. "No! It was an experiment that went wrong. How did you find me?" she asked.

"Process of elimination, I already looked everywhere else."

"I guess you really needed to see me then."

"I guess so."

She desperately wanted to ask what would happen now? What this meant for their "relationship" but she was too proud to ask and a little afraid of the answer.

Zane, it appeared, was not.

"So does this mean we're dating now?" he asked her.

"I don't know. What about Zoe?"

"That was never serious, Jo. You must know that."

"It's serious to her."

Zane sighed. "I know. I don't want to hurt her."

"Me either."

"But I can't keep on lying to her."

"I thought you two weren't dating, so what are you lying about?"

"She kissed me earlier tonight." He could feel Jo stiffen at the admission.

"Oh?"

"I should have stopped her sooner, I know I should have, but she caught me off guard and..."

"And what?"

"And I didn't know this was going to happen between us," he answered honestly. "However I play this, she's going to be hurt."

Before Jo could respond, Zane's PDA began to ring. He was going to ignore it but Jo sat up and handed him his pants. He fished through the pockets until he found it.

"It's Zoe," he said.

"You'd better answer," Jo said, covering her hurt.

Zane took a moment to compose himself before he answered.

"Hey, Zoe," he said as cheerfully as he could.

Jo turned her back to him and began to get dressed.

"Whoa, whoa, slow down, Zoe. Take a deep breath and start at the beginning."

His tone of voice alerted her that something was wrong and Jo turned to him, concern etched on her features. A moment later her own PDA began to ring.

"Lupo."

"Jo, it's Carter. There's been an accident."

"What happened?"

"Zoe's friend, Pilar... She's dead."

Zane and Jo caught each others eye, their anguish mirrored in the others expression.

"Stay there, Zoe, I'm on my way."

"I'm on my way," Jo echoed, ending her call.

Jo and Zane dressed in silence, each focused on getting to Zoe but wondering what this meant for them.

"We should take my bike, it'll be faster," Zane said as they ran into the parking lot.

Jo shook her head. "Too many questions. You go, I'll catch up."

For once Zane didn't bother to argue but turned towards his motorcycle. A second later he turned back and caught her arm, turning her to him. The kiss was full of longing and desperation. Neither wanted to end it because they both realised that being together had just become a lot more difficult than they had imagined previously.

Aware that both Zoe and Jack were waiting for them, Jo finally pulled away. Neither of them spoke because voicing their fears was too painful.

Zane cupped her face in his hands and stared at her, like he was trying to memorise her features or something. Finally he leaned down and gently kissed her forehead. Everything they had shared so far had been passionate but this gesture was soft and intimate. This was the kiss that would keep her awake at night, longing for him.

Slowly he began backing away towards his bike and finally he looked away from her as he climbed on it, fired the engine up and took off towards town. Jo climbed in her car and followed swiftly on his heals.


	2. Chapter 2

I was about to post it twice before and things kept getting in the way (like epileptic dogs) which kept me from doing the final edit. Sorry for the delay. Thanks to everyone who left feedback, I really appreciate it and I hope you enjoy this chapter.

III

**Chapter Two**

When Jo got to the accident site she could see Zane was already there, with Zoe wrapped in a comforting embrace. Zane caught her eye and flashed her a regretful smile. Jo nodded curtly at him.

The site of the accident was Pilar's house and although the fire had been put out, parts of the wreckage were smouldering. Pilar was lying on a gurney with two paramedics and Allison still trying to resuscitate her while other emergency personnel were combing through the wreckage.

"Jo," Carter jogged over to her.

"How's Zoe?" she asked, casting a side long glance at her and Zane.

"She's fine," Carter said, his relief evident in his voice. "They've already checked her over and she just has a touch of smoke inhalation and superficial cuts and abrasions. They said it was nothing to worry about."

"What happened?"

"Not sure yet. Zoe and Pilar were outside and we haven't found Pilar's parents. Zoe thinks it might have been caused by one of Pilars fashion experiments but she's too upset to remember any specifics right now."

"If they were both outside, why is Pilar hurt?"

"Debris. She was crushed." Carters expression darkened as he was reminded how close Zoe had come to death.

Just then Zane jogged up to them and interrupted their conversation.

"Sheriff, I'd like to take Zoe home, if that's okay with you."

Jack looked like he was about to protest but Jo shook her head and he took a deep breath. Jo was right, Zoe didn't need to be here watching her best friend die. Zane wouldn't be his first choice of guardian but he had to admit that even Zane probably wouldn't take advantage of Zoe in her emotional state.

Jo looked over towards Zoe. She was sitting on the back of the ambulance, holding a blanket around her shoulders. Now that she could see Zoe's face, Jo could see her abrasions and the tear tracks that traversed her soot stained face. Without Zane standing beside her she looked so small and fragile.

"Okay. Stay with her, will you?" Jack asked Zane.

Zane nodded and turned to Jo. "Can I borrow your car?" he asked. "I came on my bike," he added when she didn't respond.

Jack handed him his keys. "Take the Jeep, I'll get a ride with Jo."

"Thanks." Zane wanted to reach out and get Jo's attention but he knew that would look odd so after a moments indecision he nodded his thanks to Carter and headed back to Zoe.

"Lupo?" Jo finally looked away from Zoe as Jack called her name.

"What? Sorry," she said, realising she hadn't heard any of the conversation and that Zane was now heading back to Zoe. "She looks so upset."

Carter nodded. "I know. Zane's taking her home."

"On his bike?"

"No, I just loaned him the Jeep," Carter frowned. "Are you okay?"

Jo shook her head, dismissing his concern. "I'm fine, probably just low blood sugar," she gestured to her outfit that clearly signalled she'd been working out before coming here.

"I can probably handle things here, if you want," he offered. He also would prefer Jo to be at home with Zoe, though he didn't want to say that,

"No, I'm fine. Pilar's Mom works for GD so I have to investigate this."

"Okay, if you're sure. I'm going to go and canvas the lookie loos, see if anyone saw anything helpful."

Jo nodded. She could see Jack's Jeep pulling away and breathed a silent sigh of relief. Working would be much easier without them present to distract her.

"Okay. I'll speak to the rescue teams, see how long before a tech team can get in there and analyse the scene."

"I got a pulse!" Allison cried. "Get her in the ambulance, we need to get her to the infirmary now!"

Jo and Carter both turned to watch as Pilar was loaded into an ambulance with Allison.

"At least that's some good news," Jo said, feeling awful that her first thought had been how this would make it easier to tell Zoe what had happened earlier with Zane, rather than pleasure that Pilar was alive.

"Let's hope it stays that way," Jack said, flashing her weary grim smile as he headed over to question the onlookers.

III

Back at the smart house Zane filled SARAH in on events while Zoe took a shower. She hadn't wanted to, it seemed that all she wanted to do was cry, but Zane knew that wallowing in self hatred wasn't good for her and keeping occupied was the best course of action.

While Zoe was showering, it seemed to Zane that SARAH was preparing every food that Zoe had ever shown a preference for, from pancakes to ice cream to chocolate milkshake and fried chicken.

"Wow," Zoe said as she entered the kitchen to see the counter lined with all her favourite foods.

"Hey," Zane turned to her. "How are you feeling?"

Zoe shrugged. She was dressed in her night things and dressing gown, her damp hair brushed back from her face.

"I was sorry to hear about your friend," SARAH said. "I prepared a selection of your favourite foods for you. I understand they can be comforting in times of emotional distress."

"Thanks, SARAH," she said without feeling.

Zane stood up and took her in his arms, holding her tightly. At least her tears seemed to have stopped. When he released her she tried to smile but failed dismally.

"It's not your fault, you know that, right?"

Zoe nodded. "I know, but after everything I said about her..."

"There's no such thing as fate so you couldn't have been tempting it."

"I still feel like a total bitch."

"I know," Zane smiled kindly. "Come on, you've had a big shock, you need to eat something."

Zoe grimaced at the thought.

"How about milkshake then?"

"Okay, fine."

"So, what do you want to do?" Zane asked as he handed her the shake. He didn't trust her to drink it if left to her own devices.

"Curl up and die."

"Um, let's call that plan B. What's your second choice?"

"Get eaten alive by snakes."

"O-kay. Will you settle for a movie marathon?"

Zoe smiled slightly and shrugged. "I guess."

They went through to the living room and settled on the sofa; Zoe curled into him much like Jo had earlier.

Zane selected an old Fred Astaire movie and as he'd hoped, after a while she began to drift off to sleep. When he was sure she was out, he carefully detached himself from her and fetched a blanket from her room to drape over her.

III

When Jo arrived back at the smart house she found Zoe asleep and Zane sitting on the coffee table, watching over her.

He smiled as she entered. Jo cocked her head towards the door and Zane frowned, thinking he was being dismissed. He didn't argue though, simply grabbed his coat and left. He was surprised when Jo followed him outside.

"I don't want SARAH to overhear us," she finally explained directing him towards the trees.

"That's good to know. I thought you were throwing me out," Zane smiled with relief and opened his arms to her. After a moments hesitation she stepped into them and held him tightly.

"How are you?" he asked.

"Confused. How's Zoe?"

"She's devastated. Earlier tonight she was telling me how they were growing apart and now this has happened..."

Jo leaned back and looked up at him. "Oh no, she must feel awful."

"Yeah, pretty much."

"Well, I might have some good news. They were able to revive Pilar and her parents are badly hurt but alive."

"We have to tell her," Zane started back towards the house but Jo grabbed his arm to stop him.

"Not yet. Zoe's sleeping which is the best thing for her right now. Plus Allison said it was touch and go. I don't want to get her hopes up just to crush them again."

"Okay," Zane nodded. "But we have to tell her when she wakes up."

"Agreed."

They were both at a loss for words and slightly uncomfortable with each other.

"So should I take off?" he asked. "I don't expect Carter wants me spending the night with his daughter," he quipped.

Jo didn't find that remotely amusing but she tried to cover her ire.

"No, stay. I just stopped in to see how she was doing. I've got investigators crawling all over the site and reports from the fire department and Carter to read and file, not to mention a pile of witness statements from people who don't seem to have witnessed anything useful."

"You need some rest," he told her. She already looked tired and her workout clothes and wild hair were doing nothing to dispel that impression.

"I'll grab a nap at the office."

"Can't you work from here?" he asked. "I could help you with the science."

Jo opened her mouth to reply then rethought the sentiment. "Probably not the best idea."

"Right," he agreed, albeit somewhat reluctantly. They both headed back to the house and Jo paused by her car.

"Call Carter if she wakes up. He needs to ask her some questions."

"Will do." He waited until Jo had driven off before returning to the bunker. Thankfully Zoe was still sleeping soundly and hadn't noticed their absence. Deciding he might as well get some rest while he could, he curled up at the other end of the sofa and tried to sleep.

His sleep was fitful though and after a while gave up even trying. He knew why he couldn't sleep, because he was worried about hurting both Zoe and Jo, but he didn't understand his feelings.

Zane wouldn't have called himself a player but he had dated multiple girls in the past. It didn't bother him then and he didn't like the fact that it was bothering him now.

Of course he was smart enough to know why this was different, because unlike the other girls, he genuinely cared for both Zoe and Jo, though in different ways.

A few months ago he would have revelled in the chance to play with Lupo's emotions, to string her along and find out how far he could push her before she pushed back. Now though? For the hundredth time he wondered what had caused the change in her.

It wasn't that he didn't like the new Jo, he did, very much, he just didn't understand why she had changed. If there was one thing Zane loved, it was a good puzzle but this one was starting to wear a little thin now.

He gathered that they used to date and quite possibly had been engaged, what he didn't understand was how or why that was possible. Why didn't he remember it? Lupo was permanently on his case about something and a week without busting him for some minor infraction was a wasted week in her book. So what was so different about this other Zane that had made her, after three years, finally start to trust him?

And who was this other Zane? Was he imaginary? Probably not because the ring was real. Was he from an alternate dimension? To the best of his knowledge that was still unproven and impossible. Had it all been a dream or some kind of virtual reality experience? That was most logical but again, it still didn't explain how she'd gotten the ring.

Whatever way he looked at it, he had no answers, just a lot of questions that Jo didn't seem to want to answer and a lot of feelings he didn't understand. Zane wasn't a big fan of feelings and there was a reason he behaved like an ass most of the time, because it made people keep their distance from him. Zane had always been an outsider, even since he could remember. At school he was the teachers pet and hated by his classmates for it. When he tried to downplay his intelligence, his teachers and his Mom were upset with him. Eventually he'd been home schooled by a series of private tutors, which just made him seem like a bigger freak to the neighbourhood children.

When he'd been accepted to MIT he'd been thrilled. The people there weren't kids, they were adults, they were cool. And he's been right, they were cool, which unfortunately meant that they didn't want to hang around with a thirteen year old kid who would cramp their style _and_ show them up in the brains department. It was around that time that Zane's current attitude really began to develop. The professors didn't care what he did outside of their lessons, they didn't care if he even listened to their lectures, hell, they didn't even care if he failed their class.

Although he was not ready for it emotionally, Zane had been given a lot of freedom, though thankfully he loved learning and his studies never faltered. Not to mention that most of their assignments were literally child's play to him. When dealing with his fellow students though, he began using humour and put downs as armour, pushing them away and making fun of them before they could do the same to him.

When he'd been brought to Eureka, he realised he liked it here. This was somewhere that had the money and resources to turn some of his ideas into a reality. What he had neither needed nor wanted was friends or community. The realisation that, despite his best efforts, he now had two friends was an unwelcome one but at the same time, part of him liked being here right now. Looking after Zoe... it felt good. He wondered if this was how big brothers felt; that was role he might enjoy.

As for Jo, now that was much more frightening. He felt as though it might be possible to have a real connection with her but that would require trusting her, something that he hadn't done since he was 16, when Sally Browning had used him to help her get a good grade, then dumped him in the cafeteria in front of all her friends. Since then he'd always been the one doing the using, the one who could walk away and never look back. Hell, he had some girlfriends who's names he couldn't even remember!

But it didn't make him happy. The only time he really felt happy was the two weeks a year that he spent visiting his Mom. She hadn't been around as much as she would have liked when he was growing up but when she was at home, he was always her main priority and he had no doubt about how much she loved him. With her he didn't have to pretend to be something he wasn't. She loved him, criminal convictions and all.

He realised that he wanted Jo to feel that way about him too. He would be taking a big risk though and he wondered if he was brave enough to take that leap.

Idly he began surfing through the television channels until he found an action movie which he left playing quietly. It kept his mind occupied and his thoughts from drifting too much. Eventually the action and explosions lulled him into a peaceful sleep.

III

Jo wasn't an idiot by any stretch of the imagination, but she did find the technical data she was required to read hard going sometimes. Most of the scientists could put their reports into layman's terms but Derek Jacobson either couldn't or wouldn't and it was his preliminary chemical analysis she was reading now.

She put the data pad down and leaned back in her chair. She needed some sleep, this would be easier once she was rested but she knew she'd never sleep at the moment. Her mind would be full of questions and recriminations. Already she was beginning to think she'd made a huge mistake with Zane and was just opening herself up to more heartache.

Since she was getting nowhere with the report she decided to stop into the infirmary both to check on the family and to see if Allison could translate some of the report for her. Allison was a whiz at putting complex ideas into simple terms.

When she got there she was surprised to find Carter there too. She had expected him to be at home asleep by now, it was nearly 3am.

"Hey, Jo. I thought you'd gone home."

"Back at ya," she said. "The preliminary report from the tech team came back, I wanted to look it over before calling it a night."

Just then Allison joined them.

"Please take him home, Jo. He wont go on his own and he needs to get some rest."

Jo smiled. "Am I allowed to use force?"

Allison pretended to consider it. "Okay, as long as there are no broken bones."

"If you help me translate this, you've got a deal," she handed Allison the data pad. It hadn't escaped Jo's notice that Allison seemed much happier these days. And it wasn't just her relationship with Carter, though that had surely helped. It seemed that without the responsibility of running GD on her shoulders, she felt more free to be herself. She laughed easily and joked readily these days. Once upon a time Jo's quip would have just earned her a dirty look but now it lead to banter.

"Well, the levels of hydrogen found are high, oxygen levels are also above average, I'm guessing that's what caused the explosion."

"Rocket fuel," Jo said.

"Basically. Most of the other gas readings look normal," she said distractedly as she read through the report. "Wait, carbon trioxide?"

"What's that?" Jo asked, wondering if it was like carbon dioxide.

"It's a molecules made up of one carbon and three oxygen atoms but it's unstable and very rare."

"What causes it?"

"There are a couple of processed that make it, A coronal discharge can fuse oxygen with CO2 or dissolving ozone in liquid CO2 or mixing ozone with dry ice."

"Any idea why someone would want to do that?"

"None," Allison handed the pad back to Jo. "But that reaction is probably what caused the excess oxygen. We might have more idea after the solid samples have been tested."

"Yeah, Henry said he'd take a look at those for us tomorrow," Carter added. "For now the scene has been secured."

"Okay," Jo accepted she'd need to be patient. As much as she might want to lose herself in work, work just wasn't cooperating. "How's the family?"

"Good. John has a broken leg and smoke inhalation but he'll be fine. Jenny had some broken ribs and some internal bleeding but she's stable. Both have a few third degree burns but there should be minimal scaring with treatment."

"And Pilar?"

"Stable for now. She was hit by part of the chimney as it fell so she had a lot of internal damage as well as smoke inhalation and lots of abrasions. She also has third degree burns on her chest and back. We've operated and repaired her punctured lungs, stopped the internal bleeding and we're stimulating her immune system to speed up recovery but she's not out of the woods yet. I'll stay with her until morning when Doctor Olivetti will relieve me. I'm cautious but hopeful she'll make a full recovery with time."

Jo nodded, relieved that she would be okay.

"Okay, well we'll leave you to it," she said.

"I guess we'd better head home," Jack said. "I want to check on Zoe."

"You go, I want to read through the statements you took earlier."

"Jo, it's late. You need sleep."

Jo considered arguing but finally she nodded, she did feel exhausted so maybe he was right.

When they arrived home, Jack was pleased to see Zoe sleeping soundly at one end of the sofa and Zane sleeping just as soundly at the other end. Personally he might have carried Zoe to the bedroom, but he didn't really like the idea of Zane manhandling his daughter and so approved of his choice to simply cover her in a blanket.

"Should we wake him?" he whispered softly to Jo.

Jo looked at the sleeping Zane. He looked so peaceful and relaxed, so much more like her Zane now that his arrogant persona was buried in slumber and she couldn't bare to wake him.

"Let him sleep. It was nice of him to look after Zoe."

Carter scoffed but when she glared he relented. "Sorry. It's just... It's a Dad thing."

Jo smiled indulgently. "Well why don't you get some sleep and when you wake up, maybe he'll be gone."

"Deal," Jack smiled, liking that idea. He headed off to his room and after one final glance at the sleeping Zane, Jo made her way to the bathroom. She had a lot to shower away. A workout, soot... and a passionate love making session with Zane.

As the water flowed over her body she remembered the times that Zane had joined her in the shower. How he would lather her up, then rinse her down, all the while teasing her before finally he would push her up against the wall and enter her.

He had loved washing her hair as well. Her house used to have a huge bathtub that they could both fit in and he'd often climb in with her, lather up her hair and massage her scalp until she was so relaxed, she almost felt boneless. Since returning to this timeline, Jo had never achieved that same level of peace and calm on her own.

She missed Zane so much that sometimes it hurt. Tonight especially, she felt almost raw with pain. Opening herself up to this Zane had been a mistake, she could see that now and she knew that no matter how hard it might be, she needed to end it before she got hurt even more.

She closed her eyes and put her head under the water, letting her tears silently flow away with the water.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Zane awoke to the scent of fresh coffee. He rubbed his eyes and checked his watch. It was just after eight am.

Sleepily he made his way to the kitchen and found Zoe sitting at the counter, hunched over a mug of coffee. She didn't notice him.

"Zoe?" he called.

She looked up slowly and seemed to take a moment to focus on him.

"Oh, hey, Zane."

"How are you feeling?"

Zoe shrugged and resumed staring at her coffee. Zane frowned with worry. He considered telling her about Pilar but knew he should check that she was still okay first. Jo hadn't sounded very hopeful last night.

"I'm gonna use the bathroom, I'll be right back."

"Sure," she didn't bother to look up as she spoke.

Zane locked the door behind him and made his way to the toilet bowl before a thought occurred to him.

"Uh, SARAH?"

"Yes, Zane?"

"Can you see me in here?"

"No, the Sheriff disabled my cameras."

"Good." When he was finished he washed his face and cleaned his teeth as best he could with toothpaste and a finger. It wasn't perfect but it would do.

"SARAH?"

"I'm still not looking, Zane."

Zane smiled at her comment. "Actually I was wondering if you had the phone number for the infirmary at GD?"

"I can connect your PDA for you, if you'd me to."

"That would be great." He took his PDA out and watched as the number dialled itself. It was slightly unnerving. "Don't read my texts, okay?"

"I wouldn't dream of it."

The phone was answered with a brisk, "Infirmary."

"Is that Doctor Blake?"

"Yes?"

"It's Zane."

"Zane?" she sounded puzzled to hear from him which made him feel uncomfortable. He didn't like asking people for things, even if it was just for information. He reminded himself that he was calling for Zoe, not himself.

"Yeah. I was wondering how Pilar is doing?"

"Oh. Um, I'm not sure I'm at liberty to discuss that with you," she said, though not unkindly.

Zane forced himself not to utter the quip that immediately came to mind.

"Okay, I get that. The thing is Zoe was asleep when Jo stopped by last night and I don't want to tell her Pilar is okay now if she isn't. Zoe's pretty torn up about the whole thing."

"You're with Zoe?"

Zane rolled his eyes, this was like the Spanish inquisition.

"Yeah, I'm at the Sheriffs house with her."

"Jack isn't there?"

"I haven't seen him, but then I've only been awake a little while." He wanted to ask if she also needed to know his collar size and childhood pets name before she told him anything but somehow he managed to hold his tongue.

"Oh. Well I suppose there's no harm. Pilar is stable at the moment and I'm hopeful. Her injuries are serious but she's responding well to our treatments. I'm keeping her sedated for the moment but if Zoe wanted to stop by, a friendly voice might do wonders for her."

That was more than he'd been hoping for and Zane was glad he'd shown restraint.

"Thanks, Doctor Blake. I'll tell her the good news."

"You're welcome, Zane. You might also want to tell Zoe that if it hadn't been for her performing CPR until we got there, Pilar wouldn't have made it, certainly not with her higher brain function in tact."

"I will. Thanks again."

Zane hung up and headed back to Zoe, who didn't appear to have moved at all since he left.

"Zoe? I just spoke with Doctor Blake. After we left the accident last night, they were able to revive Pilar."

Zoe looked up, frowning, as though she couldn't understand what was being said to her.

"She's in a serious condition but they're hopeful; and she's sedated but you're welcome to stop by and see her later, if you want."

"What?"

"Doctor Blake also said to tell you that you saved her life by performing CPR until they arrived."

"She's okay?" A smile began to form on Zoe's lips.

"She's stable, not okay," Zane amended. He wanted her to feel better but he didn't want to give her unrealistic expectations.

"That's great!" Zoe launched herself off her chair and into his arms, hugging him tightly. "Thank you," she said. It seemed to Zane that she was trying to squeeze the life out of him but her happiness was infectious and he couldn't help but grin and hug her back.

"Can we go and see her now?" she asked. "I need to stop by a shop though, get her something nice, like flowers. No, flowers are boring. Chocolates? No, everyone gets flowers or chocolates." She let him go and skipped around the breakfast isle, clearing her mug away as she passed it.

"That rules stuffed animals out too," Zane added, enjoying her jubilation.

"How about a real animal? She's always wanted a puppy."

"Yeah... that's probably not the best idea."

"Okay. I know, a robot helper. Someone to do the things she can't, and it'll be company for her.

"I don't think GD just loans robots out," he cautioned.

"Then I'll see if I can borrow Virtual Vincent."

"Zoe," he didn't want to bring her down but he had to. "She's sedated. I'm not even sure she'll know you're there."

"Oh. Right," she frowned. "But at least she's alive. I can make it up to her."

"Wait, you didn't say anything about growing apart, did you?"

"No, but I still want to make things right." She walked up to him and put her hands on his shoulders. "Thanks."

As she reached up to kiss him, Zane took her hands in his. She wasn't going to like what he was about to say but it had to be said.

"Zoe-"

Before Zoe could kiss him or Zane could stop her, Jo walked in. She looked mortified to have caught them in such an intimate moment and turned around to leave.

"Jo," they both called her. She stopped and slowly turned back to them. Zane could see her pain, though she was doing a god job of hiding it.

"Don't go," Zoe grinned. "I'm sorry, I was just excited. Did you hear, they revived Pilar."

"Yeah, I heard," Jo's smile was completely fake but Zoe didn't seem to notice. "It's good news."

"It's fantastic news! Zane's going to drive me over there now."

"I am?" This was news to him, mainly because he didn't have any way to drive her there. He doubted the loan of the Sheriff's car would extend past taking his daughter home.

"You should stay here," Jo cautioned. "Your Dad needs to speak to you about what happened."

"Oh," Zoe's face fell.

"It's okay, she'll still be there when you're finished," Zane assured her.

"Right, of course she will, she isn't going anywhere. We'll go later," she smiled at Zane.

"Uh, actually, I should probably be getting to work," Zane suggested cautiously.

"You're not going to come with me?"

Zane didn't know what to say. If things were different, of course he'd go with her, if only because this drastic mood swing was worrying him slightly. As it was though, he didn't want her growing any more attached to him.

"I..."

"Fargo's been on his case a lot," Jo butted in. "He wasn't at work yesterday-"

"Yeah, because my Dad put him in jail!"

"-and I think he could get in trouble if he misses any more work."

"Oh, come on," Zoe argued. "They're not going to fire him, he's one of the brightest people there."

"Probably not," Jo agreed. "But Fargo can make life very difficult for him if he chooses."

Zane watched the women argue back and forth, feeling very conflicted. Of course it was nice to have people fighting over him, just not these two women.

"Okay, if I might have a say in my own life!" he looked from Jo to Zoe and both became quiet. "Thank you," he turned to Zoe. "Jo's right, I do need to get to work but after you've seen Pilar, you're very welcome to come find me. Does that satisfy everyone?"

Zoe smiled and Jo nodded.

"Good. Now, Jo, can I get a ride in with you?"

Jo hadn't counted on spending time with him but after arguing that he needed to go to work, she couldn't really say no.

"Uh, sure. You want me to drop you at home?"

"Nah, work is fine. I keep a change of clothes there."

"Of course you do," she muttered. "I'll be ready in five minutes, don't keep me waiting."

III

The ride into town was tense and although Zane tried to initiate conversation a few times he only got one word answers or, if he was really lucky, a grunt.

She pulled up out side Cafe Diem and cut the engine.

"I wont be long," she said, getting out of the car.

"I'll come in with you."

Jo rolled her eyes but didn't reply. Once inside they both placed an order for coffee and Zane added a muffin to his.

"Let's grab a table," Zane suggested quietly so Vincent wouldn't hear.

"I'm fine here," Jo sat down at the counter to illustrate her point.

"You sure about that?" Zane smirked, making Jo suspicious.

"Why?"

"Because I have your car keys," Zane grinned. "I know you don't want to, Lupo, but we need to talk and I'd really rather do that somewhere with witnesses."

Jo checked her pocket to find that her keys were indeed missing.

"Now, you can throw me down and search for them," he grinned. "Which, I admit would be fun but I almost can guarantee that you're not going to want to look where I've put them. Or you can sit down and talk about what happened like the reasonable, rational people that we are."

She narrowed her eyes at him, letting him know just how much she disliked him at that moment.

"Fine!" she agreed and when Vincent gave them their coffee's and the muffin, she followed Zane over to a table. Thankfully the café wasn't too busy, most of the patrons were just popping in for a morning coffee on their way to work.

Now that he had her where he wanted, Zane grew serious but suddenly he didn't know where to start.

Jo just sat there, waiting for him to begin. She wasn't going to make this easy for him.

"Okay look, I'm not really sure what happened last night," be began. He watched as she folded her arms defensively across her chest. "But I do know it was something... special."

Jo still didn't respond or relax, though her expression did soften slightly.

"I don't know who this other Zane was, or why _you_ changed but I do know there's something between us now that wasn't there before." He sighed and looked up at the ceiling, trying to find the right words. "What I'm trying to say is... I feel like we could be great together, and I know I've screwed things up, repeatedly. And I know should never have started anything with Zoe but I'm asking you, Jo, to give us a chance."

"I walk in on you two almost kissing and you want me to give you a chance?" she asked.

"No, that's isn't what happened. She tried to kiss me, I was about to let her down when you walked in on us."

"That's not what it looked like."

"I don't care what it looked like, Jo. I like Zoe, a lot. She's a friend and I don't want to hurt her, but I don't want to be with her. Not like you."

"Zane," He could tell he was getting through to her as her posture was relaxing. "I don't know if I can trust you."

"You obviously took a gamble on me once, Jo. All I'm asking is that you give me than chance again. Let me prove to you that I'm serious."

Jo didn't answer for a long while and Zane began to think that she would say no. Finally she looked up at him.

"No. I'm sorry, Zane, but it's too complicated," she said, though he could hear the sadness in her voice.

"What's complicated?" he asked. "I like you, you like me."

"But I don't like you," she said with a sigh. "I love you. But not this you, my you, and I can't tell where he ends and you begin. And however much you think you might like me, you're clearly in a very different place to me."

"Wow. That does sound complicated," Zane agreed with a frown. "But are you really going to throw away what we might have because it's difficult?" Zane asked.

Jo licked her lips and opened her mouth to speak but she couldn't find the words.

"Anything worth having is worth fighting for, Jo Jo."

Jo shook her head as though she was clearing it.

"It's not that simple."

"Isn't it?" He asked. "Or are you just afraid to give us a chance?"

Jo sat in silence for a few moments as she considered his arguments and her own feelings. Finally she leaned forward and looked him in the eye.

"I can't date you, Zane, not right now. It's too painful and... I just can't do it."

Zane looked down at the table top. He really thought he'd been getting through to her, though the _'not right now'_ gave him hope.

"But I would like to be your friend."

Zane looked up, puzzled.

"I don't really know who you are and right now I'm mad at you for not being my Zane and crazy about you because you look like my Zane. I think maybe it's time I got to know you."

Zane considered her words, a slight smile playing at his lips.

"Okay, I think I'd like that. Just one quick question. How would you feel about being friends with benefits?" he quipped. "Because last night was hot."

"No! No benefits," she sounded stern but she was trying not to smile. That was something she could hear her Zane saying. She missed his sense of humour but she was beginning to realise that perhaps she didn't need to, not any more.

This Zane's life would have followed the same course as her Zane's until he came to Eureka. What difference could a few years really make to someone's life and deep down, how different could they really be? But she meant it about not jumping into things with him, she needed to get over him first, then she could consider dating him. Until then it wouldn't be fair to either of them.

"Well, come on then, buddy," Zane grinned. "We'd better get to GD."

They stood up with their coffee's and headed back to the car.

"If we're late, I am totally blaming you," Zane told her.

Jo looked incredulous. "Ha! Me?"

"Yep, you're driving."

"You stole my keys!"

Zane held the door open for her and grinned. "Check your breast pocket."

Jo felt in the pocket and found her keys. She wasn't the sort of person who was unaware of her body and she was amazed and a little impressed he'd managed to slip them in there without her noticing.

"How did you...?"

"Trade secret," Zane winked as he followed her out to the car.


End file.
